This unambitious, modest little plant, called an African Violet, has been my friend for the last five years at least. Never complaining, never asking for more than a few drops of water every two weeks or so, and for a relatively warm environment, it's always been a good, silent companion. Its mauve flowers are very pretty, too. For all this, I thought I should honour it today with a post.

THE SORROWS OF THE DOCKYARD
A poem by Alexandros Baras (1906-1990)
*
An old ruin of a ship
I saw her leaning on her side
Her ribs were eaten by rust
Her rudder out of the water
Bitten, broken
By an unknown sea monster
*
Such a poor ruin of a ship…
And yet – who would have believed it?
From her tilting funnel it seemed
Some smoke was slowly rising
A wisp, thinly dispersing
(In the bowels of the wreck there was hidden